The privacy stack, integrated and active on first boot.
Kodachi is a purpose-hardened privacy and security operating system. VPN and Tor routing, DNS leak protection, AppArmor and Firejail sandboxing, full-disk and container encryption, a threat watchdog (health-control) and a three-tier emergency response including secure identity wipe, integrated and active by default. Free for personal and other non-commercial use. Commercial and organizational use needs a license.
Keep Kodachi independent, fast, and available for people who take privacy seriously. Free for personal and other non-commercial use, sustained by the people and organizations who rely on it: your license keeps the managed nodes online and the updates flowing.
Buy a license
Read this before you compare Kodachi to a VPN subscription
Kodachi is not a standalone VPN provider and should not be priced against one. A VPN is a single component inside it. Kodachi is a full operating system that combines:
Three plans. One hardened core in all of them.
Every tier runs the same hardened OS and the same signed binaries, and gets all updates for the life of the license. What changes is commercial rights, the operations cockpits, and how crowded your exit node is.
Kodachi ships five cockpits, easiest first. Free keeps the privacy core and the Simple and Direct startup screens; Vitals, SOC and ColonyOps are Premium. Which cockpits are Premium is set on the Kodachi license server, the same list a signed-in Kodachi 10 dashboard enforces (one that starts offline, or loses the Kodachi server for more than about half an hour, shows the built-in Free set until it signs in again), and on kodachi.cloud these badges show that setting live.
TL;DR: the full plan details
- Every tier runs the same hardened OS and binaries and gets all updates during the license.
- Free keeps the privacy core, the Circle and Lite Classic dashboards, the Simple and Direct startup screens, every appearance pack (Standard, Neon Grid and Stealth Ops), one Default preference profile, current-session history, and the normal managed pool.
- Premium and Custom add the Vitals system monitor, the top-level SOC dashboard, the ColonyOps operations workspace, the Advanced startup launcher and the VPN Providers and Mobile Manager pages in Lite Classic, multiple preference profiles, persistent command history, the exclusive web services for domain security, DNS propagation and IP intelligence, and paid managed-node access. Custom additionally enables custom-server operations, an isolated server reserved to your organization, and direct written support from the developer: email and private Discord messages, 12 cases per organization per license year, no phone calls, video calls or screen-sharing.
- Premium and Custom are annual licenses, 12 months of all updates, across versions. After expiry your last ISO keeps working; renew for continued updates and managed-node access.
- Your license funds continuous development, security updates, bug fixes, and new releases for everyone. Free and Premium are not a personal help desk; deep documentation and guides are how you get productive fast, and paid reports get triaged first. Custom is the one plan with a direct written line to the developer, within the limits set out in the terms below the plan cards.
- Premium and Custom licenses are self-managed right in the dashboard (About, then Premium License). Enter a valid key once; the dashboard stores a signed, device-bound entitlement and automatically verifies it on later starts.
Free
- Full privacy core and all updates
- Circle and Lite Classic dashboards
- Simple and Direct startup screens (Advanced launcher is Premium)
- Dark, Light, accessibility and performance choices
- One Default profile, current-session history
- Managed nodes on a shared pool (fair-use capped)
- Community support and full documentation
- Not for commercial use
- No Vitals, SOC, ColonyOps, Advanced launcher, VPN Providers or Mobile Manager
Premium
- Commercial usage rights
- Vitals system monitor
- Top-level SOC dashboard
- ColonyOps operations workspace
- Advanced startup launcher
- VPN Providers and Mobile Manager pages in Lite Classic
- Multiple preference profiles
- Persistent command history
- User web dashboard (online License Portal)
- Three exclusive web services for domain security, DNS propagation and IP intelligence
- Low-density VPS, fewer users per node
- Pick which nodes serve you, with live per-node load
- Priority issue triage
Custom
- Everything in Premium
- Single-tenant VPS assigned to your organization
- No other Kodachi customer traffic on your VPS
- Your choice of exit country and provider
- Split into one isolated VPS per 10 devices if you need groups separated
- Custom-server operations
- Kodachi Server DDoS Defense Toolkit once your Custom Server is provisioned
- Dedicated capacity, strongest plan-level isolation
- Direct developer support: email and private Discord messages with the developer, 12 cases per organization per license year, written only, no calls
- Priority issue triage
No plan carries a contractual SLA. Throughput depends on the infrastructure provider and route conditions, and neither paid tier guarantees latency or throughput. Every license, free or paid, funds the same continuous development for the whole community, and paid reports are triaged first on a best-effort basis. Free and Premium do not include a one-to-one help desk.
Direct developer support, the terms
- Covers
- Kodachi itself: installation and boot, the dashboard, managed and custom nodes, routing and DNS, licensing and activation.
- Quota
- 12 cases per organization per license year, whatever the number of devices. A case is one issue, from first report to resolution. No rollover; additional cases are quoted.
- Contacts
- One or two named contacts per organization. Your team reports to them, and they write to the developer.
- Channels
- Email and private Discord messages with the developer, available to your named contacts once your Custom license is confirmed. Written only: no phone calls, video calls or screen-sharing.
- Response
- Typically within two business days, best effort. Not a contractual SLA.
- Not covered
- Custom development and custom ISO builds (quoted under Custom Builds), third-party software and services, general system administration, and machines not running Kodachi.
Which one are you?
The plan is decided by two questions: are you being paid for the work, and does your exit traffic have to be yours alone.
You are protecting yourself
Personal, educational or research use. Your wallets, identities and personal data live online and you want a hardened environment rather than a bolt-on tool.
Someone pays you for this work
Consulting, journalism, research under contract, any professional or organizational use. You also want a node with fewer people on it, and the Vitals, SOC and ColonyOps cockpits.
Your traffic cannot share a server
Five or more devices, a requirement that no other Kodachi customer traffic touches your exit, in a country and with a provider you choose, and a direct written line to the developer when something breaks.
Why people choose Kodachi
Kodachi is built for the reality of modern digital life, where your assets, wallets, identities, and personal data all live online and require serious protection. From first boot, it delivers a hardened environment with privacy, security, and operational tools already integrated and working together.
What Kodachi ships as a complete system is something you simply will not find prebuilt in another operating system, and that confidence comes from years of integration work. It does more than protect you: it teaches better habits, reveals how the stack works, and gives real control from day one.
All Kodachi editions (Binary Suite, Terminal, and Desktop) are completely free for personal, educational, and research use. Only commercial, professional, or organizational use requires a paid license. Free tier access policies may apply (fair-use controls).
The seven questions that stop people
All answered from the current licensing terms, in the order they normally get asked.
What actually happens when my 12 months run out?
Do I have to create an account or hand over an email address?
I reinstall and change machines often. Am I going to lose my seat?
- Same active installation on the same PC: no release step needed.
- Reinstalling the same PC: release first, then activate again after reinstall.
- Moving to a different PC: release on the old device, then activate on the new one.
- After release, the same key can be activated again on this PC or another.
- Command line equivalents:
sudo online-auth license-status,sudo online-auth release-license,printf '%s\n' "YOUR-KEY" | sudo online-auth activate-license --stdin-key
Is this just a VPN with extra steps?
What do I actually get for the money, if Premium has no help desk?
Which dashboard features need Premium right now?
How is a Custom plan different from just buying five Premium seats?
Commercial use starts at $99 per device per year.
Instant key delivery, no account, no email. Activate in the dashboard under About, then Premium License. Twelve months of all updates, including across major versions, and your last ISO keeps working after that.
The seven rows that actually decide it
The full 24-row matrix is one click away, but these seven are what people change their mind on.
| Feature / Plan | Free$0 | Premium$99/device/yr | Custom$600/device/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial usage allowed | No | Yes | Yes |
| Backend type | Shared | Shared (low-density) | Exclusive (dedicated) |
| Exit nodes and IPs | 1 shared free node, single exit. No node selection. | All premium nodes, plus the free node if you want it. Pick which serve you in the License Portal. Default: a random premium node. | Your own isolated server and exit IPs, plus premium and free nodes if you want them. Default: your own dedicated node only. |
| Dashboard access | Circle + Lite Classic | Circle + Lite Classic + Vitals + SOC + ColonyOps | Circle + Lite Classic + Vitals + SOC + ColonyOps |
| Single-tenant VPS per organization (no other Kodachi customer traffic) | No | No | Yes |
| Priority issue triage | No | Yes | Yes |
| Direct developer support (email and private Discord messages, written only) | No | No | 12 cases per organization per license year |
| Full privacy core and all updates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OS-level hardened privacy and security stack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| More than a VPN service | Full OS stack | Full OS stack | Full OS stack |
| Vitals system monitor | No | Yes | Yes |
| ColonyOps operations workspace | No | Yes | Yes |
| Top-level SOC dashboard | No | Yes | Yes |
| Startup modes | Simple + Direct. Advanced screen opens only from a saved preference | Simple + Advanced + Direct, Advanced launcher on demand | Simple + Advanced + Direct, Advanced launcher on demand |
| Preference profiles | One Default profile | Multiple profiles | Multiple profiles |
| Command and execution history | Current session | Persistent | Persistent |
| Visual choices | Standard, Neon Grid and Stealth Ops packs | Standard, Neon Grid and Stealth Ops packs | Standard, Neon Grid and Stealth Ops packs |
| User web dashboard (online License Portal) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Three exclusive web services for domain security, DNS propagation and IP intelligence | No | Included | Included |
| Kodachi Server DDoS Defense Toolkit | No | No | Included with active Custom Server |
| Performance advantage | Baseline | Lower occupancy, no speed guarantee | Dedicated capacity, no speed guarantee |
| Support channel | Community: documentation and the public Discord | Priority triage of reported issues through the public channels | Direct written line to the developer by email or Discord direct message, one or two named contacts, Kodachi issues only |
| Phone, video or screen-sharing support | No | No | No, written channels only |
| SLA | No | No | No |
Paid plans pick which node serves them
Open the License Portal, paste your key, and the Your Nodes panel lists every node your license can reach with its country, exit IP, live load, and which one is serving your device at that moment. Tick the nodes you want and save. It applies on the next connection from that device; a session already running keeps the node it was given.
Premium
Selects among the premium nodes, and may also select the free node. Default: a random premium node on each connection.
Custom
Selects among your own isolated nodes, and may also select premium or free nodes. Default: your own dedicated node only.
Free
Uses the shared free pool. Access runs downward only: a free device can never reach a paid node.
When your infrastructure is the target
Power generation and distribution, water systems, rail and air transport, hospital networks, financial market infrastructure, telecommunications carriers, seaports and government regulatory bodies have all been documented targets of sustained, methodical cyber operations. These are not theoretical scenarios. They succeed most reliably against systems that were not built with operational security as a design requirement, and the organizations affected typically recognize the exposure only after an incident has occurred.
Dedicated, isolated infrastructure
A single-tenant VPS is assigned to your organization, with no other Kodachi customer traffic on it, your own exit IP, and resources not pooled with other customers. The underlying server and network are still operated by the selected infrastructure provider. Minimum 5 devices, maximum 100, annual license, and a direct written line to the developer for Kodachi issues (12 cases per organization per license year).
Choice of exit country and provider
On the Custom tier you select the exit country and infrastructure provider, aligning network egress with your operational needs and jurisdictional constraints. The VPS is not shared with other Kodachi customers, but the selected hosting company remains the underlying third-party provider.
Custom builds for your organization
Your tooling and configuration, delivered as a cryptographically signed and deployable Kodachi ISO. Specific tools, pre-installed workflows, or configuration hardening beyond the default stack can be produced for you. Available by arrangement.
Hardened by default, independent by design
Developed independently since 2013. Air-gap installation with no network dependency at deployment, and Monero accepted for a more privacy-preserving payment rail. One native desktop dashboard, backed by signed Rust binaries, controls VPN, Tor, DNS, encryption, identity and 122 pre-bundled workflows.
Need a custom build or a private VPS? Here is the whole process.
Tell me what you need and I will study the requirement, confirm what is feasible within Kodachi's security model, and send you a fixed-price quote before any work begins. Builds are produced for lawful, defensive, educational and privacy-protection purposes.
Tell me your requirements
Applications, languages, persistence behavior, installer policy, VPS countries and providers, and any hardening. A short, non-sensitive outline is enough to start.
I study scope
I confirm what fits Kodachi's security model and estimate effort, timeline and delivery format.
You get a fixed quote
Transparent, per-project pricing based on scope, before any work begins. Custom builds and private VPS are quoted individually.
Build, sign, deliver
Your master ISO and any provisioned VPS, plus the support arrangement we agree on.
Not buying, but want the free tier to survive?
Donations sustain the free personal-use tier and the shared VPS infrastructure, keeping Kodachi accessible while covering ongoing development and operational costs.
Direct cryptocurrency donations
Third-party payment services
NOWPayments
Multiple cryptocurrencies
PayPal Direct
Quick one-time payment
Donorbox
Recurring payment option
These addresses are signed
Every address and payment link on this tab is listed in a statement signed with the Kodachi OS repository signing key, the same OpenPGP key that signs the Kodachi apt repository (on a system that uses it: /usr/share/keyrings/kodachi-archive-keyring.gpg). An address changed by anyone else would not match the signature, so check it before you send.
- Signing key
Kodachi OS Repository Signing Key <repo@kodachi.cloud>- Fingerprint
17D7 C4B0 2273 0515 B3FC D94D 38CB C528 166E AF7B
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA512 Kodachi OS: official donation addresses Date: 2026-11-01 These are the only addresses and links that receive donations for Kodachi OS, as listed on https://kodachi.cloud/docs/support.html#donations An address or link that is not in this signed list is not ours. If one ever changes, a new list is published, signed with this same key. Bitcoin (BTC): 126vuB7gy5JDebBUmxBNTeQgkFH226c2we Ethereum (ETH): 0x6e2e582f308f99cf567446a9e825bbb1b278c906 Monero (XMR): 4AXd2tWczXHD5okSGmJQJY6AuqtdtMSLEWAxziYVw2kCcpXsAcGeeZnE4jv2kTy2gb5AkPZ2bERypKHFRfyQw41RUnLRudy Solana (SOL): 5eEuLRN1MY5x8Cx2PcpokGfDCEzC8Q2TUga3Xed2vuoD Tether (USDT): 0x6e2e582f308f99cf567446a9e825bbb1b278c906 Tether (USDT TRC20): TAY2ZGKk5s38B53DLdMAWWVZh6F3af9ANQ BNB (BNB): 0x6e2e582f308f99cf567446a9e825bbb1b278c906 Dogecoin (DOGE): DPxC1PKaRvWvau9SJ8f6RWyVaACrwMGv5q Litecoin (LTC): Le33jLgmDArhJhezjgeq9mseuEqqdjMk1u Ripple (XRP): rHAP7bP8eQn4LbzyGHDsLMHcW2x5DEhFBS Polkadot (DOT): 14jFaamEGkkdF5z6DcR2yGC9qGegKKJRM161cMcUgkkv69Lb Tron (TRX): TAY2ZGKk5s38B53DLdMAWWVZh6F3af9ANQ Payment services: NOWPayments: https://nowpayments.io/donation/linuxkodachi PayPal Direct: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/TJZSGR6452HS4 Donorbox: https://donorbox.org/kodachi Signed by: Kodachi OS Repository Signing Key <repo@kodachi.cloud> Key fingerprint: 17D7 C4B0 2273 0515 B3FC D94D 38CB C528 166E AF7B -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQIzBAEBCgAdFiEEF9fEsCJzBRWz/NlNOMvFKBZur3sFAmrnHwEACgkQOMvFKBZu r3ue4w/9FMv3GleLyoIeStxbDROR2L1jYxUh+nzemH6mQV7w2J3kjr9aAyGESl/j 4cwnnOVWt3jXiNAZ+EeDc+iN6RGbor8hM5juQu/g2CwoTharU8DZblPEXLZhzDOG rdixdZIKbY3lnoYqaZ3dp7BckkqGODsbZmpGWkXYE5CdqejNzRHs6614lA2+s+Nd 53TuMKNETE1TmhlOvsJvtK/anlFR1/1045vWoZi7fg25yrpXVpqMIUNpMmaB1zri +yPPzZGmmFSLmGaPoHarZfKd6Xm+DzXUMYcjkKSnmkwW8hWILRqXSMBzLnEkfu1O jtOw7dalYBLKJ988x4gdr5TQDicmMevc06y3S98B0TWg4DNonTkuRH3bZZquEpSH y7T60CIEoyQCw6punS3yXvx3O9wu+it3sH5sQLlJQ5V6MOAybH3SM0otCoSL/DFM dTzKsqUcHJP+CyojUNQ0a8mezmNUFrbk4/x3k9o3QEUOF79t3zXjovOnie0EFL1I DkIAInF9SjpIYNYuF+MUs10HAeIEgX/zra3j0lMMnPYY5jzN5F1y26vBOjrOlIII Y6ri1bKNKsh+u9fetDB7io3O2PkffYUAIGLvQEKLd6yGjYQ6b/JVm5Wh6YrNtc9j NqufoeQBSbPvShU2fZygKWIn6Y+ldnAnsrLFFygjD/Jwx17Dh8Q= =OUVw -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
- On a system that uses the Kodachi apt repository the key is already there:
gpgv --output - --keyring /usr/share/keyrings/kodachi-archive-keyring.gpg donation_addresses.txt.asc - Anywhere else, download the key, then run
gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring ./kodachi-archive-keyring.gpg --output - --verify donation_addresses.txt.asc - It must report a good signature from "Kodachi OS Repository Signing Key" with the fingerprint above, and it prints the list it verified. Pay only an address exactly as that printed list shows it, character by character.
The small print, kept small
Nothing is removed; it is folded so the page can be read in a minute.
About this support model
- Same hardened core: all tiers run the same purpose-hardened OS and security stack.
- Automatic unlock: enter a key once; the license service returns a short-lived signed claim bound to this device, and the dashboard verifies it on every start. A missing, expired, altered, wrong-device or unknown-key claim falls back to Free.
- Which features are Premium: set on the Kodachi license server and shown live on this page. A signed-in Kodachi 10 dashboard opens only the features its signed claim lists and picks up a change within about ten minutes.
- Security boundary: paid managed-node and custom-server access is always checked by Kodachi servers. The signed local claim expires after at most seven days, and the dashboard does not open paid features from it alone: it holds a verified answer through about half an hour of lost contact with the Kodachi server, then shows the Free set until it signs in again. No desktop app can be made unpatchable by someone with root control of the machine.
- Global commitment: continuous updates, best-effort VPS availability, infrastructure maintenance. No SLA or uptime guarantees.
- Covers major versions: your annual license includes every update for 12 months, including any new major version released during your term, at no extra cost.
- Custom rollout: Custom orders go live immediately on premium low-density nodes, then route through your own dedicated nodes once provisioned.
- Direct developer support (Custom only): email and private Discord messages with the developer, 12 cases per organization per license year, one or two named contacts, written only (no phone calls, video calls or screen-sharing), replies typically within two business days on a best-effort basis. Scope and exclusions are in the next entry.
- Honoring earlier purchases: on 2026-06-21 Kodachi moved from per-major-version licensing to annual 12-month licenses. Everyone who purchased before that date received a fresh 12-month term starting 2026-06-21.
Direct developer support on Custom, scope and limits
- Channels: email and private Discord messages with the developer: send a direct message on the Kodachi Discord server (discord.gg/KEFErEx) or use the contact options on this site, and your named contacts are registered once your Custom license is confirmed. Written channels only: no phone calls, no video calls, no screen-sharing sessions.
- Who: one or two named contacts per organization. Your team reports to them, and they write to the developer.
- Quota: 12 support cases per organization per license year, whatever the number of devices. A case is one issue from first report to resolution, however many messages it takes. Unused cases do not roll over, and additional cases are quoted.
- Scope: Kodachi itself: installation and boot, the dashboard and its cockpits, managed and custom nodes, routing and DNS behavior, licensing and activation. A Kodachi bug reported this way is fixed in the product for everyone, which is the point.
- Not included: custom development and custom ISO builds (quoted under Custom Builds), third-party software and services, general system administration, and machines not running Kodachi.
- Response: typically within two business days, best effort. No plan carries a contractual SLA, and this is not one.
Privacy-first purchasing
License reuse and device transfer
sudo online-auth license-status, sudo online-auth release-license, printf '%s\n' "YOUR-KEY" | sudo online-auth activate-license --stdin-key